Rail-joint.



J. W. STEPHENSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 9. 1915.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918;

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

5] nuamtoz J. w. STEPHENSON.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1915.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. a rn QFFEQE,

JOHN W. STEPHENSON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

are details thereof.

My invention relates to rail joints and consists in a joint plate spanning the ends of the rails and containingwedging mechanism so arranged that the wedging action will be taken up principally between the heads and flanges of the rails thereby distributing the pressure so that the rail-engaging member is wedged firmly against the rail base, and the joint plate will be drawn up against the rail base. My invention also consists in the construction and arrangement of parts which I shall hereinafter describe andclaim.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates end portion of adjacent rails,

a the. We13-are intended to be driven,

3 the usual cross ties and 4 the base or joint plate, preferably located between the ties. The joint plate 4: is preferably symmetrical in cross section, and has upturned and inwardly inclined sides 5, 5'. The rail engaging member 6, which extends across the joint between the ends of the adjacent rails, is adapted to have a supporting engagement with the heads 7 of the rails, and its lower portion 8 bears on its rear side against the undercut inner face of the side 5 of the plate and on its under side against the upper faces of the flanges 9 of the rails.

On the side of the rails opposite the member 6 is another rail-engaging member 10, which likewise extends across the joint between the ends of the rails and engages them between their flanges 9' and their heads 7. The rail-engaging member 10 is provided on its rear face with a laterally extending rib 11 on its lower or rail-base engaging portion, which has a fiat horizontal upper surface 11 and above WhlCh its rear faces 12 incline outwardly from the ends toward the center of the member. Between the inclined faces 12 of the member 10 and the upturned side 5' of the joint plate Specification ofLetters Patent.

clined surfaces 12 of the member 10, which forces the wedges outwardly against the vertically-inclined inner face of the side of the joint plate, and this vertically-inclined face in turn forces the wedge downwardly upon the rib 11 of the rail-engaging member 10, and thus transmits a large propor-' tion of the wedging action through the railengaging member 10 to the rail base. As the wedges 13 travel. inwardly along the faces 12 of the member 10 there is no tendency of the wedges to slip off sidewise down the incline of the undercut inner face of the side 5, because the level surface 11* prevents such movement, and hence the wedging pressures force the member 10 down on the base flange of the rail and the joint plate is at the same time drawn up against the rail base. It will thus be seen that practically the entire wedging action ise'xerted upon the rail-engaging member 10, a part of the pressure holding that member tight laterally against the rails, and part of the pressure forcing the member 10 downwardly upon the base flanges of the rails thereby holding the rail firmly against the base plate and against movement relative to each other without undue pressure on the sides 5 and 5 of the joint plate.

T 0 prevent longitudinal movement of the joint as a whole, relative to the rails, bosses 17 may be provided on the rail-engaging member 10, which enter the usual bolt holes nearest the ends of the rails and extend through the rails a sufficient distance to enter the sockets 18 in the rail-engaging member 6. To hold the joint central with respect to the rail-ends, and particularly to keep the two rail ends in position in case of breakage, I prefer to employ bolts 19. which are inserted through bolt holes 20 in the rail-engaging member 6, and through the usual bolt holes in the rails farthest from the rail ends. To provide a beara Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed September 9, 1915. Serial No. 49,658.

having upturned sides, a rail gripping the ends of the rail-engaging member 10,

washers or retainers 21, mounted on th'e'bo'lts ware-employed. The bolts 19 are also useful in event of the breakage ofeither themcmber 6'or the member 10, as they will hold the parts in place and prevent the rails from Working apart, since the wedging engagement will be maintained, inasmuch as the members 6 and 10 are held against longitudinal movement. I have also shown the member 6 equipped with outwardly extend ing lips 22 which take about the ends of the'side 5 and hold the base 4 in alinement With-the member 6 and therefore with the rails and member 10.

Theterms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, andI have no intention, in'the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any'mecha-nical equivalen-ts for the features shown and described,

but recognize that various structural m0di-" ficatiens are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. What I'claim is:

1. ,A rail joint comprising a base member having upturned sides,a rail gripping member extending across the joint between the ends of the rails, said rail gripping member having a horizontal non -wedging surface and; an inclined wedging surface, a Wedge adapted to be driven between said rail gripping member and an upturned side of said base member and to be supported upon said horizontal non-wedging surface, wherebyits-entire wedging pressure will be directed against said inclined wedging surface to force the rail gripping member laterally into engagement with therail.

: -27. A rail joint comprising a basemember member extending across the joint between the ends of the rails, said rail gripping 'member having'a wedging surface inclined vertica'l'lyand longitudinally of the rail, and also having a horizontal non-wedging -surface, saidupturned -sides'. .of the base member presenting inclined undercut surfaces of lesser inclination from the horizontal than the correspondingly-inclined surface of said gripping member,;'and: a

Wedge adapted to be driven between said inclined surfaces andto be forced by said surfaces downwardupon sa d hor zontal-- non-wedging surface of the rail gripping v member.

3. A railjointcomprisinga basemember; having upturned sides, rail-gripping members extending across the joint between the" ends of therails, wedging means adapted to be driven between one of the rail gripping members and :an upturned side ,of -th e ,base member ada'ptedito wedge ,the lastnamed v rail-gripping member against the heads bases of therails, and means, supplemental to the wedging meansan'd separate from the rail-gripping :members, for holding the railgripping membersin relative position 4. A rail jointcOmpriSing abase mem;

her. having upturned si,des,f rail-gripping 70.

members extending jacrosslthe, joint between the ends ofthe rails, wedging means adapted to bedriven between one ,ofthe r il grip- V ping members'and an uptnrned side of the base member, adapted to wedge the rai l= 7 5 gripping member ,i against the heads and bases of .therails, and jboltsseated in aper- 7 tures' in one'of the. nan engaging ll lgmbeltsf adapted'to ,hold the.l'allgripping parts in alinement, supplemfillial of 1 the we dging ,80 means. .i ,f 0 I Witnesses; is j a a, DAWDC- HEKSQN, o,

copies of this'patent may be obtained. for five cents eacn,;1 ;y addressing-the ki eminissioner pf mess; r Was nst a -Q 

